One Lackey, Two Lackey, Red Lackey, Black and Blue Lackey
by shadowsnowleopard
Summary: A story of young Nico protecting young Will from the bullies. And playing doctor, only to break Nico's foot. And movie night with unexpected results. A story of their years growing up together. Mortal AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Sometimes I don't get you guys. I post a one shot that receives ten reviews. I post another one shot a few days later that receives at least 80 more views, yet I only get one review. That's just confusing. Can anyone explain this?**

Apparently going around and saying you want to be a doctor when you're only eight years old is not the way to make friends. William Solace found this out the hard way. His first day at a new school turned into a nightmare when the bullies came looking for him, and teasing him for wanting to be a doctor. Make no mistake, Will tried to fight back, but only with his words, and that wasn't enough.

"We're just giving you good practice for when you grow up, right boys?" the ringleader sneered, turning to his two lackies.

Talk about a face only a mother could love. The boy in the front had ratty brown hair was tall for his age, but Will assumed that maybe he'd stayed back a grade, furthering his intimidation in size. His teeth showed when he smiled, suggesting he had no dental hygiene, or maybe no hygiene at all. His small squinty eyes were all too close to his nose, which was crooked, almost as though he had run into a pole repeatedly.

The first day Will returned home with a couple of bruises that were well hidden under his clothes. He refused to go to his mother and tell her what had happened, afraid of the increased bullying when they found out he was a tattle tale. Will was careful not to flinch too much as he moved around within view of his mother.

The second day wasn't much better. Will came home with a bloody nose, but he quickly ran upstairs and into the bathroom, washing all the evidence away. He soaking his shirt in water, hoping to get the blood out of it so his mother wouldn't notice.

The pattern continued. Every day he would return home with a new injury. Every day he would manage to hide it from his mother. This happened for two consecutive weeks before the pattern changed. There was another new boy in the class. A little dark haired kid with olive toned skin. He mumbled out a few words when the teacher asked him to share something about where he'd come from. The boy rapidly said something about Italy when the teacher motioned for him to keep going. Certain that she would get nothing else from the small boy, the teacher let him take his seat in the back of the room before starting her lesson.

That day, after class the bullies returned to Will the wannabe doctor.

"You ready for another bloody nose?" the ringleader asked, pulling his hands into fists.

Will's eyes cringed closed as he waited for the punch, but it never came. Cautiously, Will opened his eyes to find the little dark haired boy standing in between Will and the bully. The bully stared at the little boy incredulously, but the boy paid him no attention. He just looked up at Will through sheets of raven black hair.

"I'm new," he said quietly, "and I can't seem to find my way back to the buses. Would you mind helping?"

"Uhhhh…" Will fumbled for words, before realizing that this kid was giving him an out, "Sure. I'll show you."

For the first day since Will started school here, he went home without any new marks on his body. He also found out that the new boy, whose name was Nico, was on his bus.

The next day Nico interrupted again, once more, paying the bullies no mind, and claiming he couldn't find the bathrooms.

Nico showed up on the third day as well, but the bully's patience had finally run out.

"Look runt," the bully said, turning Nico to face him, "you can't just keep bursting into my prime punching time every day. So if I can't hit Doc over here, then I'm gonna punch the snot out of _you_."

Nico just looked at the bully blankly.

"I'm surprised you used the word bursting. I would've thought that it's too big for your vocabulary," Nico said, not at all intimidated but the bully's fist hanging in the air.

"That's it," the bully snarled, his fist coming down, right where Nico's face was.

But it never made impact. Nico ducked, and landed a solid punch right in the bully's stomach, causing him to keel over and gasp for breath. Lackey One came at Nico but received a swift kick to the family jewels and fell to his knees. Lackey Two managed to dodge Nico's first kick, but got a punch to the face and started gushing blood from his nose.

All three boys were down and incapacitated in a matter of minutes. However, the commotion had caused a teacher to come running, and soon Will and Nico were sitting in two plush chairs directly in front of the principal's desk.

They were scolded for the damage they had caused to those boys, even though Will hadn't done a single thing. They're parents were being called, along with the parents of the boys, and the principal had assured Nico and Will that they would both be spending at least a month in detention.

Will leaned over to Nico quietly.

"I can help patch you up later if you want," Will said softly.

This was his way of thanking Nico, despite the trouble he had gotten them both into. Nico sat there processing for a moment before he realized that he had made a new friend.

Nico offered Will a small smile which was quickly returned. They would be spending a lot of time together, and not just in detention.

 **Please review if you liked it. There are more stories on my profile page if you liked this one.**

 **And I'll fade away until next time, just like a shadow.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, well, apparently people loved this so much so I decided I might add another chapter or two. Maybe more depending on when this goes.**

 **Age: Nine**

"Does this hurt?"

"No."

"How about this?"

"No. Will? Are you sure you should be doing this with a real hammer?" Nico asked nervously.

Nico stared at the blond haired boy, who at only nine years old desperately wanted to be a doctor. So much to the point where he used his best friend Nico as a test subject. Will happened to be testing Nico's reflexes with a hammer, but not one of the rubber ones from the doctor's office. Rather, when Will couldn't convince his mother to get him a rubber one, he snuck into the tool shed and snatched a metal one from in there.

"Of course it's fine," Will answered, "Trust me, I'm a doctor."

"Then where's your medical diploma?" Nico said suspiciously.

Will held up a slip of paper calling him an honorary doctor, but considering it came with a plastic set of medical tools from the toy store and that his name was written in crayon, there wasn't much credibility to it. Nico took the slip from him, scrutinizing every detail.

"Yup, that's legit," Nico said after a few minutes.

Will smiled and returned to tapping Nico's knees with the hammer. Of course something was bound to go wrong at some point. After all, there's a reason adults don't let little kids play with tools. Will was distracted by the way the sunlight was filtering through Nico's hair and leaving shadows across his face. This was when he accidently dropped the hammer directly onto Nico's bare foot, and Nico emanated a loud howl that caused Will's mother to come running.

* * *

An hour and one _very_ annoying ambulance ride later, Nico was staring at the x-ray showing part of his skeleton. The x-ray was a picture of his foot, which was fractured. Or at least that's what the doctor told him. Will stood beside the doctor, staring intently at the x-ray. Nico couldn't help but notice the way his eyebrows scrunched together and how he was rubbing his chin with both his forefinger and thumb.

Soon after this, Nico was put under some anesthetic so the doctor could set his foot and put the cast on with as little pain as possible. Will begged and begged the doctor to let him watch the process, even though at first he wanted to help. Instead, his mother dragged him out of the room since this whole thing was his fault in the first place. As the doctor placed the anesthesia mask over Nico's face he glanced out the small window in the door. Sure enough, there was Will, his face pressed against the glass in wonder.

Nico's vision began to cloud up and everything went dark. When his eyes opened again all he saw was a mass of blond hair and bright blue eyes. Nico let out a little shriek of surprise, which made Will jump back and trip. As Will sat there on the ground both of the boys began to laugh. There came a knock at the door and slowly began to open. Will continued to roll around on the ground and Nico tried to stifle his own giggles.

In walked walked a girl who looked very similar to Nico, with the same dark hair and olive toned skin, but a few years older. A floppy green hat was pulled tightly on her head, but deep brown eyes peered out from under the brim.

"Bianca!" Nico cried out.

Although he was happy to see his sister, he was also quite unsure how she would react to this whole situation. To Nico's surprise, she rushed forward and tackled him with a hug.

"Oh my gods Nico!" she practically shouted, "Are you alright you idiot? I was so worried when I got a call saying you were in the E.R.! Then the receptionist took forever to find your room number and I just about tore her apart!"

Bianca continued shouting at him in the loving and endearing way worried, older sisters shout. Nico looked past Bianca's waving arms to see Will had finally gotten up off of the floor and was playing with something he had pulled out of his pocket.

Nico looked back up at Bianca and interrupted her speech, "Did dad come?"

These three words stopped her cold.

"I'm sorry Nico," Bianca answered softly.

This was answer enough. Of course he hadn't come. He never came. Why had Nico expected otherwise? A small flame of hatred for his father sparked deep in his bones. Nico looked at his sister. At least she was here. He could always could on Bianca. She'd always be there for him.

"You know what?" Bianca said, a forced smile plastered on her face, "Why don't I go and get you and Will some pudding from the cafeteria?"

She turned and left the room.

"Make sure it's butterscotch!" Nico yelled after her.

"I hate butterscotch," Will said, a disgusted look on his face.

"I know," Nico answered, a little smile growing on his face.

The boys began to laugh again, but Nico's seemed a bit dampered. Not enough however for Will to notice this small difference in his friend. Will continued to fiddle with the small thing he had pulled out of his pocket until finally Nico asked what it was.

"It's a Mythomagic figurine," Will said. "See? This one is Apollo with his bow."

"Mythomagic?" Nico asked. "What's that?"

"You've never heard of Mythomagic?" Will said, his voice incredulous, "It's this awesome game about Greek gods and goddesses. Here I'll show you how it works."

 **So now we know that** _ **Will's**_ **to blame for Nico's Mythomagic obsession. Anywho- do you guys what me to continue this story? If so please review and tell me so, or favorite or follow.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I had an overwhelming response to the last chapter so I'd really like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys are the ones who convince me to continue the story. Get ready for the feels because this is a sad chapter. I was on the verge of tears writing it. Okay maybe not, but after reading it** _ **you**_ **might be.**

 **Age: 10**

The sun was shining up above in the nearly cloudless sky. This seemed cruel to Nico. An insult to Bianca's memory. He stared at the lowering casket, tears rolling off of his face. All dressed in black, Nico felt the invisible pain shooting through him. When he closed his eyes he could almost see it again. The car crash was so sudden. One moment Bianca was laughing and smiling with Nico. The next, shattered glass was flying everywhere and the two children were weightless, held down only by their belts.

Nico's knuckles were white from the tight fists his hands were in. In one was the last thing Bianca ever gave him, during the very same car crash that killed her. Salty tears dripped onto the small Mythomagic figurine of the god of the underworld. Will stood silently beside Nico, his face pinched.

Nico was angry. Beyond angry. Not only was mother nature tarnishing Bianca's memory, but so was his own father. Half the people standing at this funeral didn't know who Bianca was, much less cared about her. _Think of the devil and he shall appear,_ Nico thought as his father walked over. He too was dressed in all black, with his oily hair slicked back.

"Come Nico," his father said in a monotone voice, "there are some people I wish for you to meet."

Nico didn't answer. He continued to stare at Bianca's grave.

"Nico, come," his father insisted.

"No," he said softly, followed by some other inaudible words.

"Speak up Nico," his father said, "You know I hate the mumbling."

"I said no," Nico said, his voice suddenly icy, "That you never cared for Bianca did you. Did you!"

"How can you say such a thing," his father answered in a stern tone, "Of course I cared for your sister."

"You're heartless and cold," Nico said, his voice rising, "and I hate you!"

With that, Nico threw the little figure his sister had given him to the ground and ran off. After he managed to push his way through the crowd he sprinted past the procession of cars and through the graveyard.

Will was surprised to say the least. He had never seen this side of Nico before. Will set off to run after Nico, but tripped on something; it was the little figurine of Hades. With this, Nico completed his Mythomagic collection, but now, Will knew that it meant much more to Nico than finishing a collection for a stupid game. Will carefully picked it up, cleaning the dirt off with handkerchief. Will placed it in his pocket and ran after Nico, not giving a second glance to the silent man staring at him with a scowl.

It took Will a solid hour to locate his best friend. By this time the sun was starting to dip in the sky, making a lovely array of reds and oranges. Nico sat curled up in a little ball behind a gravestone. It took Will a few seconds to decipher the name: Maria di Angelo. Nico's mother. Nico barely spoke a word about his mother, but Will knew that she had died in a collapsing building when he was young.

Nico's head was pressed into his knees and covered with his arms, so all Will could really see was his mop of unruly, raven black hair. Will walked slowly, as if approaching a wild deer, careful not to startle Nico. Silently, Will sat down next to Nico on the half dead grass. This was the only evidence of winter in Los Angeles. A while passed before either of them moved. Nico slowly lifted his head to look at Will who stared at the sunset.

Nico's eyes were bloodshot and his face was covered in both wet and dry tears. He sniffled a little and Will looked over, offering him a grim little smile which went away almost immediately. Will pulled a tissue out of his sleeve, almost like magic, and handed it to Nico. Neither of them spoke a word. Silence was spread across the stone filled landscape like a blanket. Not even a bird or cicada could be heard.

"I brought candy," Will said.

"What kind?" Nico asked softly.

"Butterscotch," Will answered.

Will reached inside his pocket and pulled out a handful of the cellophane wrapped hard candies. Nico's hands were shaking as he unwrapped it and placed the butterscotch on his tongue.

"She's still watching me you know," Nico said, his voice barely a whisper.

Will's head whipped up to look at Nico, a question visible in his eyes.

"Bianca," Nico said, his voice catching on the single word.

His voice was distorted by the butterscotch candy but Will could still make out every word.

"I can feel her watching me," Nico's voice cracked, "from up there."

Nico pointed up, towards the darkening sky, filled with shades of royal purple and azure blue. His voice was filled with sorrow and mourning. Each word sounded painful. Yet he still retained the slightest shred of hope. Will didn't have the heart to contradict anything Nico said.

As Will looked at Nico once more he took in the pitiful look on his face and it tugged at his heartstrings. Never before had Will seen such pain in someone that he couldn't fix. Will wanted to help people, that's why he wanted to be a doctor, but as Nico sat there next to him, their knees touching, Will couldn't think of a single thing to help Nico. Maybe one thing that might temporarily numb the pain, but not completely get rid of it.

Will opened up his arms and wrapped them around Nico, pulling the downcast boy in a tight hug. Nico stiffened up at first, but soon collapsed into Will's warm embrace, his face pressed into Will's shoulder. His nose filled with the scent of oranges and bandaids for some reason. This is when the tears started to flow again, like a dam had broken and the river was released. He didn't make a sound, but the salty tears continued to pour down his cheeks and staining Will's shirt.

They sat there, huddling, as the sun finally disappeared behind the hills and night set in, bringing with it the cold, frozen air.

 ***Sniffle* Anybody have tissues out? Does anybody have suggestions for the story- please, I would like to hear them. Or if you have suggestions for one-shots or other stories? I open and I want ideas. w**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back because people seem to love this story and that makes me exuberantly happy! So thank you for that and for all of the lovely reviews. On that subject I also want to thank you for all the suggestions, but some of them conflict a bit, such as ongoing AU versus them turning out to be demigods.**

 **I'm sorry narbwhal but I meant for this to be strictly mortal people. If you would like to read a demigod WillxNico story I have another one called Sunshine, Lollipops, and Shadows which I suggest you take a look into as it picks up where** **Blood of Olympus** **ends.**

 **And 7GattiNeri, I love the idea of them getting together and of course it's going to happen, but I still want to go through the younger years a bit more- BUT I will reach that point. My idea was one chapter for every year.**

 **AND THERE IS CUTE SOLANGELO ISH STUFF IN THIS CHAPTER!**

 **And thank you again guys for all the wonderful reviews! So here's the next chapter.**

 **Age: 11**

Ever since Bianca died, Nico had taken on a sour tone. Will wasn't particularly happy about this, but he counted it as a win any time he could make Nico smile, or at least remove any trace of a scowl from his face. Nico was almost always quiet, but Will was used to this. Will would ramble on about the latest medical discovery, and Nico's eyes would glaze over from all the random terms.

* * *

Nico slammed the door on his locker, only to see Will standing there, a huge smile on his face. This had become a regular occurrence, but it still gave Nico a heart attack every time, and this was no exception. Nico jumped in fright and slapped Will's arm.

"How many times have I told you not to creep up on me?" Nico said.

Will began counting on his fingers, his lips moving with the numbers.

"I think that was 34," Will said completely serious.

"That was rhetorical," Nico grumbled. "And by the way, _I'm_ supposed to be the creepy one."

"Well you're not doing a very good job," Will complained in a joking manor.

"I'm plenty creepy," Nico protested.

He gestured to the outfit he was wearing. It consisted of a black Day of the Dead tee, along with an aviator jacket, ripped black jeans with a hanging chain, and worn black sneakers. Not to mention a skull ring and his dark shaggy hair hanging over his eyes. Will leaned back and began stroking his chin, looking as though he was seriously contemplating this idea.

"Nah, not creepy in the slightest bit," Will said as he began to walk backwards towards the door leading to the buses so he could still face Nico, "And remember- movie night tonight. My house!"

"I know!" Nico yelled, "How many times are you going to remind me before you accept that fact!"

"I think that was the 34th time as well!" Will shouted as he walked backwards out the door, followed by the sound of him tripped.

Nico smiled and giggled a bit at Will's antics. Will was the only one who could give him that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

* * *

Nico always envied Will's little perfect suburban life, with the little house and the minivan. He was standing in front of said house a few hours after school, ringing the doorbell. The cheery little bell was audible from the inside, as well as a muffled 'I'll get it' from Will and a loud thump.

Will opened the door, one side of his face a bit pink from falling to the floor, with a large smile and the smell of freshly popped popcorn and butter. Friday night was movie night. Something Nico always looked forward to since he could spend alone time with Will, the only person who really made him feel better. Every week they switched houses, and although Nico had a mini movie theater in his house, he found Will's house to be a lot more fun.

Will dragged Nico inside and straight to the living room and the TV. Covering the little coffee table was the popcorn that Nico smell earlier along with so much candy Nico could already feel the stomach ache he'd have tomorrow. The two boys sat on the couch and immediately started talking. Well, Will did most of the talking, but Nico interjected a few comments here and there.

"You know, for someone who wants to be a doctor you're quite clumsy," Nico said.

Will's face turned red.

"Only when I'm on my feet," Will said.

"So you're saying you won't trip when you're in the middle of surgery. 'Oops. I just slipped and cut this red squishy thing that looks like a heart. Is it important?' Totally nothing wrong with that," Nico joked.

Will lightly punched Nico's arm, but both boy were chuckling. Will's mother walked in putting a coat on, and grabbing her purse and keys.

"So I'll only be gone for a few hours boys. And remember- the emergency numbers are on the fridge. And if you go through all of this there's more food in the cabinets. And-" she continued.

"We get the idea mom," Will interrupted.

"Thank you ," Nico said.

"Right, right. I'll just go," she said, leaving with a smile.

As soon as she was out the door Will ran over to his cabinet full of movies and tore it open, pulling out dozens of DVDs.

"So," he turned to Nico, "What do you want to watch?"

* * *

Screams blared from both the speakers and Will's mouth.

"Why did I let you convince me to watch this?!" he yelled at Nico.

Nico, just stared wide-eyed at the screen, frozen in shock and fear. He had dug towards the back of the collection of movies and found some old horror movie. After begging Will to watch it and promising to wear colorful shirts for a week, Will finally agreed and put the disc in. Now they both sat in fear that a woman would walk out of the TV screen in seven days to kill them. **(A/N anybody recognize the plot?)**

Blood flew in the scene and Will jumped. The popcorn bowl he'd been holding flew everywhere. He buried his head in Nico's chest as Nico hid his own face in Will's hair, both boys hugging each other desperately. Will couldn't help but notice the sharp minty smell that clung to Nico. Being here with his best friend almost made the movie bearable. _Almost_. But considering the nightmares Will would be having for weeks…

Nico then had the brilliant idea to grab the remote and hit stop, which wasn't too easy as Will wouldn't let go and this restricted Nico's range of movement. Neither of them moved, both still breathing heavily when as the screen went black.

Slowly, they separated, turning on every single light in the house and running into Will's room. They locked the door and hid under the covers.

"Never again," Will said, his eyes still wide.

Nico still didn't say anything. The blood. The blood in the movie. And the shattering glass. The screams. All of it was too sharp. Too real. _Bianca_. Watching the movie had brought back buried memories from the car crash. He hadn't shed a tear since her funeral, but they were threatening to spill over now.

Will looked at him, wondering what was happening. The symptoms reminding him of this chapter of a book he had read. It looked as though Nico was going through PTSD. But when would Nico have gone through anything so bad? And then it struck him. Before the entire thought even formed in Will's head, his arms were already surrounding Nico, and he wouldn't let go for the rest of the night. Even as they both feel asleep, curled up under the sheets, Will didn't let go of his best friend.

 **I'm sorry if you didn't like the ending- but I really didn't know where to go with it, so if you guys have ideas for other chapters, next is age 12, please let me know so I can see if it can be incorporated. Otherwise- please review because it makes me so freaking happy every time a new one pops up.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Personally I don't know why you guys like when I write so much sad stuff, but since you do that's what I will write, because I am a woman of the people. Which is basically me saying this chapter is based off of Kira's idea, so thank you, and if it's too sad then don't blame me. Just suggest happier topics in a review.**

 **And I found this funny thing on tumblr but none of my friends appreciate PJO so I'm sharing it with you guys instead.**

 **WILL: You're as pale as a ghost, the light bounces off your skin... I know what you are.**

 **NICO: Say it. SAY IT.**

 **WILL (WHISPERING): Iron deficient.**

 **Age: 12**

Will had never understood Nico's pain before. He had assumed there was a healing period, and after that everything should be sunshine and rainbows, just the way it used to be. After all, he had always been the optimistic one. Here he was though, mourning his cousin Lee's death. **(A/N It was easier just to make them cousins instead of siblings)**

Lee had always been one for danger and adventure, but the last thing he was expecting when he joined the army was that he'd be taken down by an enemy sniper. A few weeks later, Will was standing in the gloomy graveyard once again. This time it was raining, a light sprinkle just enough to soak everything, including the American flag handed to Lee's crying mother.

Then more pain was piled on. Four months after Lee's funeral, Will's mother walked into his room, her face tear stained. She choked out a few words, barely enough for Will to put together the pieces. Michael, another one of his cousins. He was dead. Michael was driving across a bridge when it collapsed. The suspension cords snapped after such a rough year of weather. That's what the police claimed anyway.

Speaking of which, the police didn't seem to be good for anything. Michael's body was somewhere in the rubble, and the people searching were unable to find it.

Nico had come with Will to the funeral, and stayed with him until Michael's empty casket was just glowing ashes. Nico had wrapped his arm around Will's shoulder as tears poured silently down his face. Even as the hours passed and Will went through dozens of tissues, Nico still remained with him.

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Will wasn't much better off. He spent all of his time inside, curled up in a ball under his sheets with the curtains closed. He barely ate. He barely slept.

Nico appeared every day with something new. A fuzzy pair of slippers. Fresh oranges, Will's favorite fruit. One day Nico even brought his cousin Percy's dog Mrs. O'Leary, hoping that she would act like a therapy dog. Will smiled just a bit as he was tackled and licked until he was soaked with dog spit.

One day he had finally had enough as he sat by Will's feet on the couch with Will's head barely visible above the blanket.

"That's it!" Nico said, "I'm not supposed to be the happy one, you are! So I'm not going to just sit here and let you be pessimistic!"

Will raised his head to peek up from behind the blanket.

"Why not?" he asked softly, "I let you do it for years."

"Yes, but I'm good at it," Nico said, not taking any offense to Will's comment what-so-ever, "You on the other hand, just sit around here moping all the time. You know what- you need vitamin-D."

Nico grabbed Will's arm, and began dragging him off of the couch. Will moaned and didn't move. Nico tugged again, trying to shift Will's weight and get him off the couch. Nico grunted under the grip he had on Will's wrist slipped, and Nico went flying into the corner of the coffee table and hitting his head on it.

"Nico!" Will screamed as Nico groaned from his position flat out on the floor.

Nico was out cold when Will rushed over to him. Will gingerly lifted Nico onto the couch before checking his vital's. When Will removed his hand from Nico's head it was covered in blood. That was when Will noticed the blood running down Nico's temple. Will felt like freaking out on the inside. He was petrified with the fear that he had hurt his best friend. But instead of showing this fear, he went directly into doctor mode.

Will ran upstairs to get band-aids, cloths, and a bowl of warm water, and while he was up there, he grabbed the stethoscope he got for his birthday as well. In a flash he was downstairs, dabbing at Nico's wound with a wet cloth and muttering under his breath.

"Come on Nico," Will whispered. "You're fine. You have to be. I know you are."

Nico's face was pale from the blood loss, but his breathing and heart beat were even.

"Nico please," Will pleaded, "Wake up. I _need_ you."

"You need me do you?" Nico rasped, his eyes half open.

"Nico! You're awake!" Will shouted.

Nico winced, "Please lower the volume."

"Sorry," Will said, "And of course I need you dummy. You're my best friend."

Nico's heart flew when Will said this, and it stopped when when leaned in to hug him, leaving a light blush on Nico's face.

 **I know this chapter was a bit late, but on a positive note, I'm almost done with the next chapter, so I was wondering if you guys wanted it tomorrow or more spaced out? Like in two or three days? I'm always accepting ideas- two of which are in the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**As I promised, I'm back with chapter six. And this chapter is dedicated to Angel of FRIVOLOUS CAKES818 for the idea- and for the congratulations cupcake- as well as** **7GattiNeri** **for the ending.**

 **Age:13**

"No no no!"

"Why won't you die already!"

"Shield! Shield! Why won't my stupid shield go up!"

Will furiously pressed the A button, trying to get his shield up. In a last minute attempt to beat Nico, he jumped on him, and I mean literally jumped on him in real life. Nico's controller went flying, but he couldn't care less. Will was laying on top of him. Wavy blond hair brushed against Nico's face and he stared at Will's bright blue eyes shining with victory as Will's character kicked the crap out of Nico's.

"Ha!" Will shouted, "I finally killed you!"

"So that's what?" Nico asked, "Fourteen for me. Negative two for you?"

"Negative two? How am I in the negatives?" Will asked curiously.

"You self destructed three times remember?" Nico said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh. Yeah. Best fifteen out of twenty nine?" Will inquired.

"You're on," Nico said, a smile filling his face.

* * *

"Best twenty-nine out of fifty-seven?" Will shouted.

He had practically become deaf when they turned up the volume all the way. Will knew this was bad for his ears, but it made Nico visibly more happy, and even Will felt a little more happy on the inside as the sounds bounced off the walls.

"Will, you're at negative seven!" Nico yelled back, "There's no way you can make a comeback now!"

"Well I can try!" Will shouted, "I have my secret weapon!"

"What did you say?!" Nico said.

Will turned the volume down a bit.

"I said that I can try. That I still have my secret weapon," Will said.

* * *

Two hours later the boys still sat there, fighting each other, although things had taken quite a turn.

"Best thirty out of fifty-nine?" Nico pleaded.

You read that right. _Nico_ pleaded. Will had managed to win the tie breaking match.

"Well, I don't know," Will contemplated.

"Come on," Nico whined, "You cheated."

"Fine," Will relented, "One more round."

"But this time put a shirt on," Nico complained, "or at least cover up."

He threw a blanket at Will, knocking him over. Both boys were laughing, but Nico's face was bright red. A few weeks before, Nico had broken down and told Will his biggest secret. Nico was gay. Now Will was surprised, as Nico expected him to be, but when Nico broke down into tears in the middle of his explanation Will didn't back away from him, or tell him he was a creep or a weirdo. No, Will gathered him in a hug, telling him everything would be okay. And for this, Nico was grateful. He needed his best friend to get through it.

Other than Will, Nico hadn't breathed a word of any of this to anyone else, especially his father, who wasn't around most of the time anyway and probably wouldn't take it that well in that old fashioned mind of his.

They started the next game, but Nico was still distracted by Will's wavy blonk hair brushing over his forehead, and the smile playing across his face, not to mention the image of Will's bare torso burned into his mind from just a few minutes earlier. _Forget that_ , Nico told himself, _focus on the game_. He turned back to the television, but the screen would go blurry and he'd find himself looking back at Will's smiling face.

Will glanced over and caught Nico's eye. Nico whipped his head away, his cheeks tinged pink. Will giggled. He couldn't help himself. Nico looked so adorable as he stubbornly played the video game. Will's thoughts took a crazy turn as he saw Nico chewing on his lip. _Whoa, where did that come from,_ Will thought, shaking his head.

Soon enough, Nico's character landed one final punch, pushing Will's character off the edge. Nico began a little victory dance. Will smirked at that before making a split second decision.

Will wrapped his arms around Nico, pulling him close and pressing his lips to Nico's, causing Nico to melt in his arms.

 _Nico's lips are soft._

 _Will's lips are warm._

 _He smells like spearmint and apples._

 _He smells like oranges and bandages._

They both stood there, arms wrapped around each other and lips pressed for what seemed like forever, but was probably only a few seconds. They separated, Nico's face a bright red. That's when Nico fainted, falling flat on the floor.

 **I feel like that's how Nico would react, just completely overwhelmed and overly happy to the point that he would faint. Anyway- always open to ideas. After all, you guys are my peeps and I write all of this for you.**


	7. Chapter 7

**IhatemidtermsIhatemidtermsIhatemidtermsIhatemidterms. I thought maybe I should let you guys know that I hate midterms. And my older sister picked the name for the teacher by the way. She's technically an adult, but sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of hers.**

 **Age: 14**

"I hate Mrs. Skunkworth."

"Aw come on, she's not that- okay I couldn't even finish that sentence," Will whispered, giggling a little.

"Mr. Solace, do you have something to contribute to the conversation?" Mrs. Skunkworth asked inquisitively.

"Oh, umm, yeah," Will said, scrambling for something to say, "I just wanted to say that… um… the appendix is on the wrong side of the body in your drawing."

glared at Will as she slowly erased the appendix and moved it to the right side of the body. **(A/N pun not intended but still funny)**

Imagine your most hated teacher. That one you thought always had it out for you. Now imagine that teacher, but in her sixties with deep wrinkles, graying hair pulled into a tight bun, and the smell that reminds you of clothes packed away in the attic for years. Every class she'd walk in covered in cat fur due to the four cats she had at home. Not to mention her desk was filled with pictures of each one.

Will and Nico giggled from the back of the room. A few rows up were Will's neighbors Connor and Travis Stoll, the biggest pranksters in the high school who made a name for themselves within the first week of year. The basketballs in the gym were still hot pink. A couple of days before, the four boys had begun planning a series of pranks for their dear teacher Mrs. Skunkworth.

Today they were executing it. As Mrs. Skunkworth began to draw the large intestine, Travis started meowing. There were scattered giggles throughout the class and glared at us. After she turned back to the board Will and Nico began to meow along with Travis and his brother. It was a repetitive cycle until Mrs. Skunkworth moved to the back of the room to grab a stack of worksheets.

Connor carefully pulled a box out of his backpack and silently placed it on 's desk before scattering back to his seat. Will was iffy on how far they we're going with this, but when Nico reminded him about the B+ she'd given him on his last essay. That was when he readily agreed.

Mrs. Skunkworth stalked back to her desk and stared down the box sitting on it. The medium sized brown cardboard box was filled with holes and and ugly bow on top. The old lady stared at the box, seeing a flash of fur through on the holes.

"Did someone bring me a cat?" she asked, sniffing at the possibility of one of her students being nice.

Travis was staring at his desk, Nico looked at Skunkworth without emotion, Will was writing notes down, but Connor was sitting there, biting his lip and shaking with laughter.

"How dare you keep the poor creature kept in a box," said.

She reached down to and pulled the top off. Inside there was indeed a fuzzy black and white creature, but it was no cat. picked it up, staring at it through her grimey glasses.

The animal looked at her and she looked back. It lifted its tail.

"Duck and cover!" Travis shouted to the class.

Everyone scrambled beneath their desks as the skunk released a noxious green cloud. Mrs. Skunkworth dropped her namesake and it ran for the open door straight for the hallways just as the bell rang and kids began to leave their classes.

The boys ran to the door to see the carnage as people in the hallway began to scream and run. The Stolls laughed and laughed. Connor held his hand out to Travis who promptly high fived it.

 **Sorry for the short chapter- but midterms killed me. Anyway, I'm hoping to get the next chapter up sooner. Ideas?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for time but I was sort of creatively drained and this chapter took a bit longer to write- hopefully this chapter makes up for it. It was based off an idea from a Guest. And I know this isn't completely the entire idea, but it sort of just spun off and I didn't want to go back and change it.**

 _Bang. Bang. Bang._

"You know Nico," Will commented, not bothering to look up from his anatomy textbook, "every time you do that you're killing brain cells."

Nico continued to bang his head on the desk. It was their free period, but they had also just received news from the student council. The Homecoming dance plans were coming underway and it would go on just as planned.

"I think you're making a dent in that desk," Will said when he glanced up at Nico, "People are starting to stare Nico."

"Let them stare," Nico mumbled, "They've stared for years."

"Fine," Will said as he tried to change the subject, "You do realize you're going to be going whether you want to or not right?"

"Unfortunately," Nico answered, "though who will be the one forcing me to go is unknown."

"My bet's on Piper," Will said.

Nico looked up at Will mournfully, "Mine is on Jason and Percy."

Moments later Jason and Percy waltzed over, both looking very suspicious. Jason wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulder. Both of them had insane grins on their faces.

"Soooo…" Percy said drawing out the word, "Are you guys going to homecoming?"

Nico glared up at Percy's smiling face, but Percy didn't react negatively, he just raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"There's no way in hell I'm going," Nico grumbled.

Jason fake gasped, placing his hand lightly on his chest.

"Such strong words for such a small person," Jason joked.

Nico tried to take a swing at Jason, but before he could, Will enveloped him in a hug.

"Please go. For me?" Will breathed in his ear.

Nico obviously accepted by this point, mostly because Will hugging him had addled his brain.

* * *

By the next day they were standing in line to buy tickets. Will was bouncing on the balls of his feet, while Nico stood there silently beside him, arms crossed and head down. Selling the tickets unfortunately, was Drew Tanaka, vice president of the senior class. She made the characters from Mean Girls look like sweethearts.

"What can I get for you hun?" Drew smiled and asked Will, completely ignoring Nico.

"One set of couples tickets," Will said, the money in hand.

"Okay," Drew said, looking down at her list of names and flipping through until she found Will's, "and who else?"

"Nico di Angelo," Will answered.

A strained smile crossed Drew's face, "I'm sorry _hun_ but that's not allowed. Couples tickets are for one boy and one girl."

"That's unfair though," Will complained, "Nico and I are a couple, so we should be able to buy couples tickets."

Drew's smile finally dissipated, "Look here Solace, you gays are not interrupting _my_ homecoming with your _pride_ and your _rainbow flags_. Keep that for the parades."

Little did Drew realize, but during her little speech Piper, the senior class' President, had walked up behind her. And boy did Piper look pissed.

"What. Do you think. You are doing?" Piper asked in a tense voice, glaring at Drew.

Drew shrank away just a tad, but just as quickly stood up to face Piper.

"They can't get the couples tickets. It's in the rules," Drew argued.

"And you can't treat them like this, so I hereby relieve you of your position as vice president," Piper said, her head raised high.

Drew's face turned a nasty shade of red as she sputtered out a few words, "What-? But- you- you can't do that!"

"Yes I can," Piper retorted, " _It's in the rules._ "

A small cheer rang out through the small crowd of students that had gathered. They were glad to finally rid the student government of the worm known as Drew Tanaka.

Piper turned to Will and Nico with a little smile, "Your tickets are on the house."

* * *

Before they realized it, Homecoming was upon them, and Nico showed up to Will's house in a short little limo. Will ran out the door, a scared look on his face.

"Run while you can!" he shouted at Nico, who was halfway out of the car.

Nico looked concerned as Will shoved him back in the car and jumped in beside him. As Will told the driver, Jules-Albert, to step on it Nico asked him what was going on. Will pointed back at his front door where his mother stood with a camera. Nico started chuckling as Will began to relax.

"Once she starts taking pictures she never stops," Will said, shuddering.

Their car was swarmed as their friends came to meet them and drag them inside. Most of the time they stood in a little mob on the edge of the dance floor, half dancing and half talking. At one point Percy and Annabeth disappeared, and when Percy returned, his face was covered in lipstick and a crazy grin.

Too soon Piper climbed onto the stage clutching an envelope. The microphone squeaked as she stepped up to it. The sound that came through the speakers however, was not Piper's voice.

'The cow says moo.'

"Valdez!" she yelled into it, her voice sounding like that of Darth Vader.

Leo jumped from the spot where he was laughing his ass off. He quickly ran up to the stage to fix the mic as Piper stared him down. Once he, Leo scrambled off the stage and back to the Stolls.

"And your Homecoming king and queen are…" Piper said, ripping open the envelope and pulling out the slip of paper inside. Her eyebrows rose in a little surprise, but a smile was spread across her face, "William Solace and Nico di Angelo!"

A cheer echoed throughout the room. Stunned, the awkward pair made their way to the front of the room and up onto the stage, although Nico was dragged up for the most part. Off to the side a small group surrounding Drew looked angry, and one even looked as though he was going to be sick. Drew just narrowed her eyes and sneered at the couple.

The rest of the room looked so happy that it was believable the vote was fair, although knowing Percy and Jason it was possible either way. Said people were off to the side of the stage making jokes.

"So who wears the queen's crown?" Percy joked as Jason chuckled beside him.

One of Will and Nico's close friends, Lou Ellen, walked out with two cheap, plastic king's crowns on a little pillow. She was beaming as Piper took the crowns and placed them on Will and Nico's heads. After a couple of awkward seconds just standing there, Nico looked up at Will.

"Um… Should we be dancing? Maybe?" Nico said softly, shuffling uncomfortably on his feet.

"Sure thing Sunshine," Will said, a wide smile on his face.

Will took Nico's hand and pulled him out onto the empty dance floors. Other than a few wolf whistles coming from where Leo and the Stolls were, it was mostly silent. Jason handed the DJ a five dollar bill and Percy passed him a note with a song, not that Will or Nico noticed any of this. They were focused only on each other.

Then the song began to play. It took a few moments for it to click, but when it did Nico couldn't help but blush a little. They swayed lightly to the beat, arms wrapped around each other.

"This is my favorite song," Nico whispered.

"I know," Will grinned, "I showed you the movie remember? We must have been what? Ten at the time?"

"Right after Bi..." Nico choked on his answer.

"This song perfectly describes my feelings, Nico," Will said as he began to sing softly. " _You'll be in my heart, no matter what they say, you'll be here in my heart, always_. _Why can't they understand the way we feel?_..."

Nico picked up here, " _They just don't trust what they can't explain, I know we're different but deep inside us we're not that different at all_ …"

At the last word they leaned in for a kiss.

 **Eek! Fluff! I think you guys needed fluff. Gay pride ftw! Suck it Drew! Cookies for whoever can guess the song- and extra if you get the movie.** _ **No cheating**_ **. Suggestions for the next chapter(s)?  
Btw- I will be off for a while because I'm going to Disney for my birthday. ^w^**


	9. Chapter 9

**First of all- Thank you guys for the overwhelming reviews! As promised (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::). And for those of you that didn't get it, the song from the last chapter was You'll Be in My Heart from Tarzan. When I was little that used to be my song. And extra cookies (::)(::)(::) for singing along. No chastising, but I'm writing this in class. You guys always make me feel better and I need that right now. Anyway- next chapter. And I may have taken a bit but suck it up buttercup. I haven't had a free weekend since the beginning of January and I won't get one for another three weeks. The drama production is this week and I'm the Technical Director. The first show was last night and it wasn't too disastrous. Spotlight was a bit iffy in the second act.**

 **Age: 16**

Will mumbled to himself as he sat frozen in the soft leather seat. Nico glanced at him nervously from the passenger seat. The sleek, black Corvette sat in Will's driveway. It hadn't moved an inch since Nico had gotten out of the driver's seat. The keychain attached to the car key swung from where it hung in the dashboard.

Will's hands gripped the wheel so tight that his knuckles were white. Nico placed one hand on Will's shoulder, hoping to calm him down, but it only resulted in Will jumping. He was high strung as it was.

"Now just press down your foot on the gas pedal slowly," Nico said lightly from the passenger seat.

The blond boy stared wide eyed out the windshield. With the slightest touch of his foot, Will pushed down on the pedal.

"A bit more," the raven haired boy next to him insisted.

Will pressed the pedal with a bit more force and the car went squealing onto the street in a sharp turn. Nico was pressed back against the seat, but he managed to glance back at the tire marks and smoke left by his jet black Corvette.

"O-oh-kay… a little bit less," Nico said nervously.

Will tried to hit the brake a little and the car jerked to a half stop before he hit the gas again. This became a repeating pattern as they came to the first stop sign where Will screeched to a stop. Nico's head went flying forward and he hit it on the dashboard.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Will said.

"Don't worry," Nico reasoned, "I'm fine. Just keep driving."

So Will started to drive again, going straight until they reached the left lane of a stop light from behind a few cars.

"Now go left," Nico said, trying to keep his voice calm.

Will took a sharp right, narrowly missing a red mini van.

"Left! Left!" Nico screamed. "Your other left!"

But it was too late as Will continued to speed down the street. His blue eyes were opened wide, but he didn't seem to be taking in any of the information from the car. If the top had been down Nico might've gotten tossed out of the car. Finally Will came down to an acceptable speed and from there it was, well, smooth driving. For the most part at least.

Neither of them knew what happened next. It came out of nowhere. The big green Toyota truck. Nico glanced out his window and barely had time to place his arm protectively over Will, who was happily driving, before the two cars collided and shattered glass flew everywhere. It wasn't amazing like in the movies where the two cars collide and flip, the actors getting out with nothing more than a few scratches before they enter the climactic fight. No. The truck slammed into Nico's car, creating a massive dent and trapping Nico's leg. Nico's head slammed into the activated airbag, while Will's hit his door, giving him a large cut across the forehead.

They both sat there, dazed, while the truck driver stumbled out of his car before collapsing on the ground. It wasn't long before the police arrived. And the ambulances. Even the firemen were called so they could get Nico's leg unstuck. It must've taken hours to get everything done, but to Will and Nico it felt like mere minutes.

 _The flashing sirens._

 _Will's door being forced open._

 _The policeman dragging him out onto the asphalt._

 _Will seeing Nico in the car covered in blood, which seemed to be pouring from his nose._

 _The paramedics placing the other driver into an ambulance and driving him away._

 _Will refusing to leave Nico's side as the firemen tugged at the car to get him free._

 _Will standing over Nico's stretcher._

 _Nico looking up at him with those sad, soft eyes and placing one of his small hands on Will's cheek._

" _It's not your fault," he whispered._

 _Nico's hand pulled away, leaving streaks of blood on Will's cheek._

The paramedics brought them to the hospital as soon as Will was settled with the fact that Nico was coming with him. Both boys had gotten through the experience unscathed for the most part. Then again, Nico was once again sitting on a hospital bed with his legs hanging over the side and a brace on his foot and his nose seriously bandaged, as was Will's forehead. Will stood to the side fidgeting.

"I'm sor-" Will was cut off when Nico placed his hand over Will's mouth.

"Don't. It's okay. I'm okay. Look at me I'm fine," Nico tried to explain.

Will's eyebrows scrunched together like they always did when he got worried. Nico looked Will directly into his sparkling blue eyes with his own deep brown ones. Nico's hand was still placed firmly over Will's mouth. Until he felt something wet and slimy. Quickly, Nico pulled his hand away to look at the saliva left behind.

"Ew!" Nico exclaimed, rubbing his hand vigorously against his shirt to wipe it off. "Do you know how unsanitary that is?!"

"Yes," Will said calmly, "I do want to be a doctor after all."

Nico glared at Will, but it wasn't long before the grin on Will's face became contagious and spread to Nico. Of course their intimate moment was ruined by the sound of a large group running outside the door. Nico knew what was coming next, and he wasn't particularly happy about it. The door burst open and in walked Nico's friends and family. Within ten seconds Jason and Percy had Will cornered and were staring him down. Hazel and Reyna were hugging him and glaring at Will.

Before Piper walked in a little bit after the group, Nico thought the scariest glare he'd ever seen was either from Annabeth or Reyna. But as Piper stood there, she looked ready to murder someone.

"That goddamn receptionist wouldn't let us come in here at first," she growled.

Clearly Piper had ripped the receptionist apart. She blew a stray hair out of her face and put the scowl quickly turned to a smile when she say Nico was alright.

Piper looked over at Jason and Percy, "You two leave that poor boy alone. I'm sure he's already feeling guilty enough."

"So Nico, how you feeling?" Hazel asked, still a bit worried about her brother.

"Fine," Nico said, his breathing a tad harsher for some reason, "Just… fine…"

Those were Nico's last words before he blacked out.

 _ **Cliffhanger**_ **. Hopefully the time between this and the next chapter will be shorter than last time… Sorry… Although I'm still really busy so don't blame me. PLEASE SEND IDEAS.**


	10. Chapter 10

**TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME. At first I was like, 'oh yeah I already have half the chapter I'll be good.' And then I look back at the ages and I'm like- 'GOD DAMNIT' because I have half of the age 18 chapter, which means that this chapter took longer than expected, but here it is anyway, with the plot suggested by Angel of Frivolous Cakes818. And I love you guys for giving me so many wonderful suggestions, all of which I'm hoping to include in separate chapters, so I'm starting here and I'll try to get the other chapters out soon. Thanks for your support!**

 **Age:17**

 _Poke. Poke. Poke._

"How the hell am I even supposed to turn it on?" Will asked, looking at it incredulously.

He had gone nine years without speaking to his father when this monstrosity showed up on his doorstep a week after his seventeenth birthday. It was in a giant gift wrapped cardboard box, covered in suns, music notes, and for some reason, glitter. He had dragged it inside and up to his room before sending an emergency text to Nico, who showed up almost immediately in his newish black ferrari, which is what he got from _his_ father for his birthday.

Nico had convinced Will to open it and soon enough they were staring at black and white keyboard. Nico looked at it curiously, but Will was standing there pouting.

"I can't play a keyboard Nico. You've seen me in music class. The only instrument I can actually play is a guitar," Will whined, "What the hell am i supposed to do with- _this_?"

Nico chuckled at Will's antics.

"Well," he said, "I can solve one of your problems."

He pointed to the button labeled ON/OFF. Will pressed it carefully,as if expecting it to slap away his hand or something. Nothing happened. It sat there, same as before.

"You have to plug it in dummy," Nico explained, "It's an _electric_ keyboard."

Will proceeded to plug it into an outlet and press the button again. This time the board lit up before reverting to the normal settings. Something sparked in Nico's eyes, but Will didn't see it because he was too busy pressing random keys. Will pulled over his desk chair to sit in and tried playing around with tunes. Nico glanced around the packing material and saw an envelope sitting under scraps of paper.

"Hey Will," Nico said, handing him the envelope.

Will opening it to find sheet after sheet of complex music from all genres.

"Uhhhh," Will looked at it slack jawed, "This is impossible music. I'm gonna go get some water. You want anything?"

Nico shook his head as Will left the room. When Nico was sure Will was gone he sat down silently in Will's abandoned seat. Stretching his fingers out in front of him, Nico pressed his them lightly against the keys. Notes rang out into the air. Nico tore his hands away like he was shocked. Instead he reached to pick up the sheet music Will had dropped on the floor. Silently placing it on the music stand attached to the keyboard, he placed his hands back on the keyboard and began softly playing.

Nico didn't notice when Will walked back into the room, watching him play. The last note faded and Will began clapping. Nico looked up at him, stunned that he had appeared.

Will just looked at Nico with wide, questioning eyes.

"I used to play a little," Nico muttered.

"A little," Will scoffed, "You're amazing!"

Nico pale face turned a bright shade of pink. He turned back to the music and keyboard.

"Keep playing!" Will insisted, "It's really beautiful."

And so Nico played piece after piece at Will's insistence. Once they finished the music from Will's dad, Will went online and printed a few songs from his favorite movies.

"Now these," Will said, sounding like a little kid.

"Only if you sit with me darling," Nico said with a hint of a smile.

He scooched over on the seat and patted it, signalling for Will to sit down.

"Anything for you sunshine," Will responded.

Will sat down next to Nico and wrapped an arm around his waist. Nico jumped a little, but melted into Will's side as his face turned a light shade of pink. Will put the new music on the stand and stared at Nico with his puppy dog eyes. Nico pecked Will on the lips, leaving them both a shade of pink. Then Nico turned back to the keyboard and began to play the beginning of a song from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

 ***squeal* Solangelo fluff! I've always loved the piano, so when I took on the idea of one of them playing an instrument I just had to make it a piano. I know I have many suggestions, but I could always use more! For this or other stories/one shots.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back my lovelies with another chapter. And the fainting thing from two chapters ago will be explained in this chapter, where the plot was graciously suggested by KoalaLover-ABC-123.**

 **Age: 18**

Graduation day was a happy day for most. At least everyone but Nico. His father had once again failed to show up. He was there with his half sister and friends, and of course Will, but the only person in the audience for him was his chauffer, Jules-Albert, who Nico's father thought would be a good replacement.

Nico played the part though. He smiled. Got his diploma. He even threw his hat in the air the the moment arrived, thought getting it back proved to be difficult. After a while Nico began to realise that his Aunt Sally tried to take the place of his father, because she was taking almost as many pictures of Nico as she was of Percy.

When Sally crushed him in one of her hugs, Nico gave off a real smile. This is when he began to unwind. He had done it. Despite his ADHD and dyslexia he had made it through high school, and in the fall he would be off to college. He was to major in language studies given his talents in the field, but received a large scholarship from the school for his musical talents, which the school desperately wanted. Especially since he continued to expand his skills on the piano after the keyboard incident. Will of course, was heading into pre-med.

"Sorry Sally," Will said, "but we're stealing your son and your nephew."

He and Annabeth dragged the two dark haired boys away from the still grinning women and her husband Paul. Since everyone had just graduated, Piper thought it necessary that she hold a giant party over at her house, especially since her dad was off in Rome to film some movie. Thus, Nico had been dragged along to one of the things he still did hate: parties. He found them to be loud, confined, and filled with the scent of sweat and alcohol. In his mind there was no point to them.

At Will's, and all of his other friends', insistence though, he had been dragged along. Nico immediately started to make his way towards the outer edge of the room, where he planned to sulk. Will however, wouldn't have any of this. He pulled Nico over to the food and drinks, where he pushed a cup into Nico's hand.

"Drink," Will said, "You need to unwind."

Nico reluctantly took the drink and swallowed a gulp, winced as it burned its way through his throat. About twenty minutes after this, Will lost track of Nico. He disappeared out of nowhere, and no matter what Will did, he could not find his boyfriend. He could not see the dark raven hair in nighttime. That is, until he made his way out onto one of the many terraces. Nico had somehow managed to get outside onto one of these without falling over the edge.

"Heeeey Will," Nico slurred, stumbling his way towards Will.

Will looked at him, wide eyed. Nico had this crazy grin on his face, and by the way he was acting, Will could tell he was drunk. Something he was sure Nico has never experienced. Nico swayed back and forth, resting a hand on Will's shoulder to try and keep steady. The drunk raven haired boy giggled and peered at Will.

"Your eyes are very blue," Nico said, "and sparkly."

Will laughed at Nico's antics. He knew he should've been watching over his boyfriend and keeping him from taking in too much alcohol, but drunk Nico was just too funny. He was all happy and cheerful. Oblivious to the world around him.

"Nico?" Will asked slowly, "Watcha drinking?"

"Punch," he responded in a serious voice, "Very, very good punch. It's fruit flavored with a bit of a kick."

Nico giggled again.

"Hey Sunshine, maybe you should take a seat," Will said.

"Pft. I'm fine. You're too worried Will. Just relax a bit," Nico told him.

On the last word he dragged Will over to the drink station back inside, which in Will's mind was technically a bar since everything at it contained alcohol, intentionally or not. To the wannabe doctor, the small boy in front of him looked drunk enough as it was. He didn't need any more.

"Nico, honey- are you sure you should be drinking this much? Especially with your heart condition?" Will asked, his tone a tad worried.

Two years ago Nico had been diagnosed with a heart condition that meant the organ was weak compared to what it should be. Nico couldn't do intense exercise for extended periods of time, but they had yet to see how alcohol would affect his medication.

"Will I'm fine. My heart's fine," Nico tried to reason, "You should be more worried about my liver."

"I'm worried about you as a whole," Will said, still half smiling.

He couldn't help it. Smiles had always been contagious to him. And here Nico was, grinning like an idiot. Looking around the room Will noticed the reason it had gotten a tad quieter was the fact that half the people here were making out. Except Percy and Annabeth for some reason, who were both swimming in the pool fully clothed with their shoes neatly placed on a poolside chair. However, all the other couples- Leo and Calypso, Jason and Piper, Travis and Katie, even Frank and Hazel- were making out somewhere.

For some reason Will felt the need to point this out to Nico, who stood there in front of him, dark hair pushed back and those intense eyes not impeded at all by the alcohol.

"Well we can't let them show us up," Nico slurred, "Come 'ere handsome."

Nico gripped Will's shirt and pulled him close. Without a second thought, Nico softly pressed his lips against Will's. Nico moved his arms to wrap them around Will's neck. He could feel the blush that rushed through Will, who wrapped his arms around Nico's waist, pulling them closer to each other. Their lips moved against each other, Nico's tasting of fruit and alcohol, Will's of strawberry chapstick. Nico may have had a reason for his mind going blank, but for Will it was nothing more than the shear joy of kissing Nico under the starlight, with the moonlight filtering through Nico's hair and illuminating his face. So there they stayed, kissing in the warm air, under the soft light.

 **I really had no idea how to end that, but I guess that worked for the most part. I should be writing as a Japanese person in Hiroshima when it was hit by an Atomic Bomb for my history class, but I really don't know what to write for that, so here I am. I still have many ideas for the chapters to come, but I could always use more! Speaking of which, any ideas on which college they should go to?**


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